


Blue Hawaii

by aidenfiftyone



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blue Hawaii, Elvis Presley - Freeform, F/M, Hawaii, Oneshot, Vacation, Why Is This Such An Obscure Storyline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 19:15:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16959924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidenfiftyone/pseuds/aidenfiftyone
Summary: When Rey, marine-biologist-in-training, travels to Hawaii to meet fellow marine biologist, Luke Skywalker, she's certainly not expecting to end up in a tacky Elvis themed resort, engaged in an argument with a random stranger at the bar. And then it gets even weirder.~This whole fic was inspired by the album (and I guess also the movie) Blue Hawaii, by Elvis Presley. I tagged this a oneshot but it's actually not... it's just shorter than a regular fic... I don't know. Please enjoy :)





	1. I

The moment that Rey stepped off of the plane, she fell in love with Hawaii.

 

She had never been anywhere that looked and felt and even smelled so lovely. Everywhere around her, there was ocean, as far as the eye could see. She’d never been anywhere with this much ocean before; she lived in the middle of America, in a nowhere town without a body of water for miles. Choosing marine biology seemed a strange choice to most of Rey’s friends, considering she’d never even stepped in the ocean before, but now as she was walking through the airport, and she saw the sun dipping towards the crystal blue water out of the large windows, she knew that she’d made the right choice.

 

Rey towed her luggage behind her as she made her way to departures. Her backpack and suitcase were heavy, but she could barely feel them, as she felt like she was walking on air. She wondered if Luke would be waiting for her, or if he had sent someone else to pick her up. She had only ever seen pictures of him from the back of his books on marine life, so either way, she imagined she’d be met with a stranger. She scanned the group of people waiting at Arrivals, and eventually found a man holding a piece of paper that read ‘Rey’ in messy handwriting.

 

She walked towards him. “Luke?”

 

The man had a greying beard, and tired looking eyes, but he smiled warmly. “Rey!” He put out a hand to shake hers.

 

Rey had been studying under him as an intern for months now, communicating only through email. “It’s lovely to finally meet you in person,” she said, noticing his friendly and excited handshake. Overall, he was much more laid-back than she had pictured him. He was wearing a sort of beige poncho, with capris, socks and sandals. In his emails he had seemed casual, but maybe not this casual. He looked exactly like Rey’s idea of a hippie. And, well, she supposed he was a sort of hippie.

 

“All right, let’s get you to your hotel. You’ll be glad to know it’s just a short walk from here. We get to enjoy the sunset!” Luke led Rey out of the airport and into the warm island air. People bustled around; tourists, mostly. They followed a boardwalk so that they were right next to the water. Rey couldn’t take her eyes off of the waves.

 

“It really is lovely,” she remarked. The orange sun cast its glow over the beach, and though there were still many people enjoying the beaches, everything just seemed slightly more sleepy. “Much more… vast and complete than I imagined. Better than I imagined.”

 

“Imagined? Have you never seen the ocean before?” Luke asked incredulously.

 

Rey shook her head without taking her eyes off of the sea.

 

 “Well, that settles it. We’re going to the beach tomorrow.” He wore a proud grin.

 

Rey blinked in disbelief. “Aren’t we supposed to be working tomorrow?”

 

Luke laughed. “You’re here for a week, aren’t you? You should at least enjoy it. And what kind of ocean specialist has never set foot in the ocean? It’s… constructive.”

 

Rey knew that spending a day at the beach when she was supposed to be studying was unprofessional at the very least, but she couldn’t help it; she really wanted to go. She was so curious, and it sounded like so much fun.

 

“Okay, here we are,” Luke said, walking off of the boardwalk and onto a path that led towards the mainland. They climbed a set of stairs that led through some tropical looking greenery. “Man, you’ll love this place. It’s a bit quirky, but it’s got a bit of charm, a bit of class. It’s inexpensive, but you get more than you pay for.”

 

They reached the top of the stairs. ‘Blue Hawaii Resort’, the wooden sign at the entrance read in painted sky blue letters, beside a magenta pop-art style painting of Elvis.

 

“Is this… an Elvis-themed resort?” Rey asked.

 

Luke shrugged. “I know it doesn’t seem like much, but trust me, it’s a lot more home-y than the carbon copy clean-cut resorts everywhere else on this island.”

 

Sure enough, they entered the air-conditioned lobby, and Rey could hear ‘Burning Love’ playing over the speakers.

 

Luke checked Rey into her room. There had only been double rooms available, but Rey didn’t mind the extra space, even though she’d be staying there alone.

 

Luke handed Rey a map, her room key, and a slip of paper with a phone number on it. “Okay. Now, you’re probably jet-lagged and tired all to hell. Go to your room, order a pizza, go for a swim, maybe get a drink? I won’t tell anyone. Just relax and maybe have fun. I get the sense you’ve never really had a real vacation.”

 

Rey shook her head. “But this isn’t a real vacation, is it?”

 

Luke smiled. “It can be, if you let it. Okay?”

 

Rey conceded, giving a quick nod.

 

“We can meet here for breakfast at around nine tomorrow. Just call and let me know if you need to adjust plans, or, actually, if you need anything at all.”

 

“Thank you,” Rey said in earnest. She was truly grateful for how kind he was treating her. In all honesty, she was worried that she wouldn’t get along with him at all, but she was glad that he was so welcoming.

 

“It was nice meeting you. See you tomorrow, Rey,” Luke said, as he turned and left, giving a short wave, which she returned.

 

Rey stood in the middle of the lobby for a moment. _Now what was she supposed to do?_

 

~

 

It was after arriving in her room, unpacking and changing into a cream-coloured summer dress that Rey decided to take Luke’s advice. She didn’t often drink, but she figured she wouldn’t be able to relax very much until she did. By the time she exited her room, the sun had set entirely, so that the only source of light were the torches that lined the path, and the moon that hung heavy in the night sky.

 

It was a Thursday night, so naturally the bar wasn’t overwhelmingly busy, but it was a vacation spot, so the place was still relatively full. Elvis’ voice was punctuating a swinging melody over the speakers, of course. Rey scanned the room, noticing many families and couples, spending time together, talking, laughing. She did feel a bit out place considering she was the only person in the bar who was there alone; little did she know, that wouldn’t last long.

 

Rey pulled up a stool and sat down at the bar, skimming the menu that was rife with Elvis-themed sounding fruity drinks, along with the occasional hard liquor. She decided she might as well order one of the colorful drinks that had a fancy and unnecessary name. “Can I have the Moonlight Swim?” She asked the bartender at the first opportunity. He gave a quick nod and soon produced a sort of deep blue cocktail, in a tall glass with a paper umbrella. Rey sat at the bar, watching the other guests, and occasionally sipping her strange drink. She felt like she was in a movie, and a sad one at that.

 

Suddenly, a few shouts captured her attention. Her eyes flickered over to one of the tables where two men were having an argument. One of them was broad-shouldered, with dark hair and a dark gaze. He seemed to be staying silent, listening with a kind of silent annoyance. The man across from him had striking red hair, and seemed to be telling his companion off about something. He stood up suddenly, slamming his hands on the table, causing the plates and cutlery to rattle; luckily nothing fell. With that, the red-haired man stormed off, leaving the other man to stare at the empty spot in front of him, maintaining his quietly pissed expression. The tension between them led Rey to conclude that this was some sort of romantic dispute. For a few moments, the bar was quiet, as all eyes were on the scene that just unfolded, but soon most of the guests lost interest and went back to their conversations, leaving Rey as the only person who was still looking at the man who had just been yelled at. Her gaze lingered for a moment longer, until suddenly he looked up, making eye contact with her for a moment, and she quickly looked away, embarrassed. She turned back to her drink and she felt panic rise in her chest as she watched him approach the bar out of the corner of her eye. He looked significantly strong, and from what she had just witnessed, he didn’t seem to be in the best mood. Rey hadn’t previously anticipated being murdered in a bar in Hawaii, but life was full of surprises she supposed.

 

Of course, she was surprised yet again, as he hadn’t walked over there to kill her. He simply sat down at the bar beside her and tiredly asked the bartender for some sort of whiskey. His shoulders were hunched slightly as he drank, stopping occasionally to stare into the distance, eyes full of angst. Rey remarked that he looked significantly sadder up close, and felt guilty for instantly assuming he was aggressive. She wanted to say something.

 

“Are you all right?” She finally managed.

 

The man looked up, seemingly in surprise that someone was talking to him. “What? Oh. Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit of a disagreement, that’s all. We’ll forget all about it by tomorrow.”

 

“I hope your boyfriend is okay,” Rey said.

 

“He’s not-” he sighed, exasperated, “he’s not my boyfriend. Why does everyone think that we’re…”

 

“Sorry,” Rey said, embarrassed at her mistake, though she couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You _are_ at a cheesy romantic resort in Hawaii together.”

 

“Well, Armitage and I are not exactly here for the ambience.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself and I’m already arguing with you. I’m Kylo. Kylo Ren.” Kylo offered a hand to shake, which Rey accepted.

 

“I’m Rey Kenobi,” she introduced herself.

 

Kylo seemed satisfied with the exchange. “Okay, Rey Kenobi, why are _you_ at a cheesy romantic resort in Hawaii?”

 

“To study marine life. Well, and to visit someone.”

 

“Like a special someone?”

 

Rey nearly spat out her drink. “No, no. He’s my professor.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“What about you? Why are you at a cheesy romantic resort in Hawaii, if not for the ambience?” A playful smile crossed her features. She absentmindedly stirred her colorful drink with her straw.

 

“Business, unfortunately. Armitage is my coworker. We came down here to negotiate a deal with a property owner, but it fell through,” Kylo explained.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Rey remarked politely, “what kind of business do you do? If you don’t mind me asking.”

 

“I work for an oil company. First Order. Real boring stuff.”

 

Rey’s gaze snapped up to meet his. “Excuse me?” Perhaps it was the influence of whatever she was drinking, (she was an incredible lightweight), but she could feel the anger rising within her. She couldn’t believe that all this time, she’d been talking to the kind of person she hated so much: the kind that supported the rapid destruction of marine life for economic gain.

 

Kylo’s expression read confusion. “What?”

 

“I can’t believe you have the audacity to visit such a marine paradise as Hawaii when your company is polluting the hell out of the Pacific!” She managed to make eye contact with the bartender, and gestured towards her drink. “Can you put it on my tab, please? Room 334.”

 

“Whoa, you’re saying I have no right to visit Hawaii simply because I work for a company that I do not have control over? You think I have any say on their handling of oil spills?”

 

“Well, evidently you’re supporting them by working for them. I can’t believe it. You are the exact type of person that makes my job so difficult. You’re ruining the Earth!” She stood, and started to walk away.

 

“Are you seriously blaming all of the world’s environmental problems on me?” Kylo began to raise his voice.

 

Rey stopped in her tracks, taking a deep breath before turning around. “If you’re not supporting the environment, you _are_ the problem. It’s as simple as that.” She turned back around, walking in the direction of her room, and this time she didn’t look back.

 

“Yeah, nice talking to you too!” Kylo called after her, his tone sour.

 

“Asshole,” Rey muttered under her breath.


	2. II

Despite her vacation’s rocky start, by the next morning Rey was feeling hopeful. She dressed herself in a clean and pressed white shirt and linen pants, with her blue bathing suit underneath. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she was leaving, and remarked upon how positively tired she looked. Luke was right: she needed this vacation. While she examined her appearance, she realized she was missing her sunglasses, and quickly slid them onto her head, pushing back her shoulder-length brown hair.

                                                                                                                 

Rey only had to wait for a few minutes in the resort’s café before Luke arrived. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt printed with tropical birds; Rey had wondered whether or not people in Hawaii actually wore Hawaiian shirts, but she supposed that she had an answer to that now.

 

“So, how was your night?” Luke asked, after they had ordered breakfast from the waitress.

 

Rey had to hold herself back from laughing at the thought of her outburst at a practical stranger. “It was all right. Nice scenery. But I guess I’m not exactly used to this whole taking-a-break thing.”

 

“Well, we’ll soon change that. There’s this lovely place I want you to see today. It’s on this beach that seems to last forever… but at the very end of it there’s a cove tucked into the cliffs by the water. When the tide is in, it’s completely underwater, but when it goes out, you can go inside, and it’s just fantastic. All different kinds of life down there.”

 

Their food arrived. Luke immediately dug into a stack of pancakes, while Rey poured some syrup onto some French toast.

 

“Oh my god. Is that…” Luke said, with some pancake still in his mouth.

 

Rey turned to see what Luke was looking at over her shoulder, and she was stunned to see that Kylo Ren was sitting just a few tables away from them. She turned back around as quickly as she could, not wanting him to see her.

 

“That can’t really be him. Wow! I’m gonna call him over.”

 

“What?” Rey was truly confused. Did Luke know this man? Why would he like him if he knew that he was some sort of oil baron? And what was Kylo going to do when he came over here and saw Rey?

 

“Ben!” Luke called; the most confusing thing he had said so far.

 

Rey turned to watch as Kylo looked up. There was a sense of almost horrified recognition on his face as he saw Luke, but it seemed to disappear, and was replaced with a friendly smile. “Uncle Luke!” Kylo called back.

 

 _Uncle?_ Rey thought, horrified. What was she going to do when Kylo inevitably told Luke about their argument? Would Luke hate her for yelling at his nephew? For the second time, Rey’s chest tightened with panic as Kylo Ren approached.

 

Luke stood, and gave Kylo a hug. “Rey, I’d like you to meet my nephew,” Luke said proudly as they broke apart, and put an arm around Kylo, “Ben Solo.”

 

Rey tried not to let her confusion show in her expression.

 

‘Ben Solo’ put out his hand to shake, which Rey accepted hesitantly.

 

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, his tone sugar sweet. Who was this guy? Did Kylo Ren have a twin? A doppelganger? Or did he just have some sort of secret identity?

 

“Wow, how long has it been? Three years? You’re all grown up,” Luke remarked, looking his nephew over.

 

“Seven years, actually,” Kylo/Ben corrected.

 

Luke laughed, albeit a bit awkwardly. “Seven years. Jesus.”

 

“I’ve got a coffee here for Luke Skywalker!” One of the attendants called from the counter.

 

“Oop, sorry, back in a minute,” Luke apologized before heading in the direction of the counter.

 

“I’m sorry, but what the hell?!” Rey hissed as soon as Luke was out of earshot.

 

“Please, please, listen to me. Hear me out,” Kylo/Ben took a seat next to her so that they could speak without anyone hearing them. “My uncle has been living on this island, completely isolated for seven years. My family’s not the most… functional, and Luke hasn’t been up to date with everything that’s happened in the time that he’s been here, _studying fish_ ,” he explained quickly, with a hint of poison in his tone. “A few years ago I took up a job at First Order, and my crazy environmentalist family practically disowned me. I didn’t want to be associated with them, so I changed my name and I moved away. But Luke never learned any of that. He probably still thinks I work as a pool boy,” he scoffed.

 

“So, wait.” Rey blinked in confusion. “You’ve been lying to your uncle about your job and your name for… what reason?”

 

“I haven’t _been_ lying. I haven’t seen him for seven years, until now. For all I knew he’d been eaten by a whale or something.”

 

“Then why are you lying now? Because you don’t feel like explaining all this to him?”

 

“No, no. I respect him, a lot. More than anyone else in my family. I know that if he knew the truth…” Rey assumed he was referring to his job, “he would hate me. I don’t want him to hate me.”

 

“That’s really too bad. You probably should have thought about that before you got that job,” Rey said, her tone acidic. She stood up, intending to find Luke and tell him the truth about what had happened the night before between her and the man she now knew to be Ben Solo.

 

“No, please-” Ben grabbed her wrist before she could leave. “I know you don’t feel like doing me any favors. I get that. But just this once, just for this morning… act like you have no idea who I am. Please. And then I’ll disappear. You’ll never see me again, and neither will Luke.”

 

Rey sighed, giving up on trying to leave. She sat down, and Ben cautiously released her wrist from his grasp.

 

“Fine,” she said after a few moments. She didn’t want to lie to Luke, but at the same time, it just wasn’t worth fighting Ben over. And honestly, she just didn’t feel like she had the right to mess up other people’s lives. If she caused some sort of family turmoil, she’d feel horribly guilty.

 

“Thank you, oh my god,” Ben whispered as Luke approached with his coffee.

 

“Sorry about that,” Luke said, taking a seat in front of his pancakes. “So, Ben. Still working for that pool business?”

 

Ben made eye contact with Rey, raising his eyebrows as if to say, ‘see?’

 

“Actually, no,” Ben answered finally, “I work at an auto body shop now.”

 

“Well isn’t that just fantastic,” Luke remarked. “Man, that probably makes good use of your talents. You’re a strong guy.” He gave Ben’s shoulder a friendly shove.

 

Rey watched as Ben tried to hide his general annoyance as Luke pestered him with questions.

 

“So why are you here?” Luke asked. “Especially this time of year. January isn’t exactly peak vacation time.”

 

“My friend and I came here just for fun. He got a bonus just a few weeks ago, and we decided we should go on a trip,” Ben lied. “We picked Hawaii because I was actually planning to surprise you.”

 

Rey had to bite her tongue so she didn’t speak out. Not only was Ben lying to his uncle, he was also making himself sound a lot better and more caring than he truly was. Rey knew that Ben never had any intention of visiting his uncle, not for the rest of his life. But that didn’t matter much, as Luke had no idea and seemed touched.

 

“No. Really?” Luke said excitedly, his smile widening. “You really are my favourite nephew.”

 

Ben seemed as if he’d heard that from Luke many times before. “Well, I’m your only nephew.”

 

“That friend you mentioned, where is he?” Luke asked.

 

“Hm? Oh. Armitage. We had a bit of a falling out last night. I have no idea where he is. In fact, he checked us out of the hotel room, so he must have left.”

 

“Aw, I’m sorry to hear that,” commented his uncle.

 

Ben shrugged it off. “It’s okay. Only problem is, I have to go home today. I have nowhere else to stay. It’s a shame, because I really wanted to stay longer.”

 

Rey could see what Ben was doing. She knew that he and his friend had truly fought, but she wondered if Armitage had actually checked Ben out of the room, or if he was just pretending that he had to leave so that he had an excuse not to spend any time with Luke. However, his plan backfired almost immediately.

 

“Well, hey, Rey has a double room, don’t you Rey?” Luke looked at Rey expectantly.

 

“I… do have that, yes,” she said slowly, sensing what he was implying.

 

“I understand that Ben’s a total stranger, but I know he’d be so grateful if you’d let him stay with you. He’s not a bad guy, I promise. And it’s only for a few days.”

 

“Sure,” she agreed, trying not to look pained.

 

“Uncle Luke, you don’t have to do that, really,” Ben argued, “I don’t want to be a burden.”

 

“Oh, nonsense. If we have the space, why not use it, right?”

 

Both Ben and Rey wanted to disagree so badly, but they couldn’t give any rational reasons as to why rooming together would be a bad idea, so they kept quiet.

 

“Okay, well, Rey, while you show Ben to your room, I’ll get everything set up for today. Ben, you don’t have any plans, do you?” Luke hooked his arm around Ben’s shoulders.

 

Ben smiled. Rey couldn’t help but think that he was a pretty good actor. “Nope, none at all,” he answered his uncle.

 

“Great!” Luke stood up, putting his sunglasses on. “I’ll meet you both back here in 20.”

 

~

 

Rey led Ben back to her room in an angry silence. The only sound was the wheels of the sleek black suitcase that Ben towed behind him, which clacked every now and then on the tile beneath their feet.

 

“I’m really grateful, you know,” Ben said, a hint of poison in his tone.

 

“That’s a funny way of saying thank you,” Rey shot back, not bothering to turn and look at him.

 

“I’ll try and cut this as short as possible. I’ll stay for a day, and then tell him that I’ve got somewhere to be.”

 

“Sounds like a fantastic plan.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. Not only was she upset that she had to be in such close quarters with such an asshole, she was also upset that one of the people that she admired most in the world, Luke, was being lied to by his own nephew. The anger in her was slowly building, and she was pretty close to telling him off, but luckily for Ben, they arrived at her hotel room door.

 

Rey inserted the key card into the doorknob until it beeped, and she held the door open for Ben, who hesitated before entering.

 

“So, what’s Luke talking about? What is he doing today?” Ben asked.

 

“ _We_ are going to the beach to take samples of the water.”

 

He put his suitcase on the unoccupied bed, opening it up. “For what reason?”

 

“To find out how much oil barons like you have destroyed the planet.”

 

Ben wasn’t facing Rey, but she could practically feel him rolling his eyes. “I’m not an _oil baron_. I don’t stake any claim in the company. I just work for them.”

 

“Mhm.”

 

It was silent for a moment.

 

“We should probably get going,” Ben said eventually.

 

Rey knew that sulking was slightly immature, but she honestly couldn’t help it. She opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a spare room key, which she pressed into Ben’s open hand. “Don’t lose it. I won’t get you another one.”

 

“Understood,” he replied, slightly defensive.

 

There was a tense silence between them as they walked out of the room and back in the direction of the café where they planned to meet Luke.

 

“So, you like the beach?” Ben asked, seemingly out of the blue.

 

Rey didn’t like the fact that he was trying to make conversation, but she played along to the best of her abilities. “I’ve never been, actually,” she admitted.

 

“What?” He let out a laugh of disbelief. “You’re a marine biologist, for god’s sake. And you’ve never even been in the ocean?”

 

“I’m from the middle of America. Completely landlocked.” She shrugged. “And I’m not technically a marine biologist yet.”

 

“So you lied to me.” Rey glanced back at Ben to see him wearing a smug smile.

 

She had to stop herself from smiling in return, but it was difficult. “Not really. I mean, I’m almost there. I’ve just got to…”

 

“Go in the ocean?” Ben supplied.

 

“…Finish my apprenticeship.”

 

Their conversation was cut short as Luke approached them, with a cooler in one hand and a beach umbrella in the other. “You guys ready to go?”

 

Rey assumed the cooler was full of supplies for data collection and figured it was heavy. “Here, I can carry that,” she offered, taking the cooler from him.

 

“Aw, thanks Rey,” Luke said, beginning to walk in the direction of the beach, with Rey and Ben in tow. “My nephew isn’t nearly as helpful.”

 

“Hey, you know that I’d do anything you asked me to,” Ben defended.

 

Luke chuckled. “Don’t get all riled up, I’m just messing with you.”

 

Rey and Ben followed Luke down a set of rickety wooden stairs, painted blue and peeling, until they stepped into the warm sand of the beach. Rey immediately took in the sight of the golden shore and the bright blue ocean water. For a moment, she almost forgot that she was next to someone she hated. She couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Nice, isn’t it?” commented Luke as they made their way through the sand.

 

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” Rey replied. They approached the shore and eventually reached a spot in the sand where Luke decided they would camp out. He pitched the umbrella, sticking it in the sand to create a small area of shade. Rey set down the cooler in the sand next to the umbrella, but was slightly confused when Luke opened it, and instead of retrieving any research supplies, instead he pulled out a bottle of Coke.

 

Rey blinked dumbly, and peered inside the cooler to find that it was full of ice and assorted drinks. “I thought this was for the measurement tools. For the… data collection?”

 

Luke chuckled. “You never relax, do you?”

 

Ben snorted at his uncle’s comment, and Rey shot him a glare.

 

“You need a break. I know that you do. I promise, it won’t be for that long; just one day. And then we can do all the data collection you’d like.” He waved his hand dismissively, taking a seat underneath the umbrella.

 

Rey tried not to be annoyed. Doing actual research was the only thing she was looking forward to that day, and considering that she was now sharing a room with a complete douche, she’d found herself hanging on the idea of actually accomplishing something. But now what was she going to do? Sit on the beach, day-drinking?

 

She suspected that Luke wasn’t insisting on relaxing because he thought it was beneficial for _her_. But she didn’t dare say that. Instead, she stared out at the waves for a few minutes, watching the waves lap against the shore. She knew one thing for sure: she didn’t want to sit here beside Ben Solo for much longer, and there was one way she’d be able to get away from him. She kicked off her sandals, then began unbuttoning her shirt and took off her pants, revealing her navy blue bathing suit. She carefully folded her clothes, setting the small pile on the ground in the shade of Luke’s umbrella. More than anything, she hoped Ben wouldn’t follow her as she strode towards the ocean.

 

Standing at the edge of the water, Rey felt herself relax for the first time since she woke up that morning. The air smelled especially sweet, and a soft warm breeze came over the water to greet her. She closed her eyes for a moment, bathing in the sun.

 

“Do you even know how to swim?”

 

Rey’s eyes flickered open. Her sense of peace disappeared, and the annoyance she had felt all morning took its place. She didn’t even have to look to know that Ben Solo was standing beside her. “ _Yes,_ I know how to _swim_.”

 

“Well, forgive me for asking. I mean, you’ve never even seen the ocean before. I just assumed.”

 

“There are other bodies of water in the world than the ocean.” As Rey spoke, she finally turned her head to look. Ben was standing beside her, wearing a half-smile and a pair of swim trunks. Up close, she couldn’t help but notice that he was quite muscular, but the minute she processed that thought, she looked away from him, hoping her face wasn’t red.  

 

The fact that he’d accused her of not being able to swim only made her want to prove him wrong. Without another word, she waded into the sparkling water until it was up to her chest, not minding that it was a bit cold. She took a deep breath and dove beneath the waves, swam a few strokes, and then surfaced, running her hands through her wet hair. She turned back to see Ben still standing at the edge of the water, staring solemnly out into the water.

 

Rey didn’t want to spend any more time with Ben than she had to; she knew that for sure. But he just looked so sad standing there. Did he think that he was unwelcome? Rey felt guilty. “Hey… Ben,” she called, instantly regretting it as he looked up, but she continued anyway, “aren’t you coming?”

 

He seemed confused, but somehow relieved, and waded through the water in Rey’s direction. Eventually he was about an arm’s length away from her, and he stopped, turning around to look at his uncle, who was still sprawled out in the beach chair, flipping through the pages of a magazine. There was an odd sadness in Ben’s expression. Rey had assumed that his warmth towards his uncle was all an act, but now she realized that Ben may be more complex than she’d originally thought.

 

“Why haven’t you come back, ever? To visit him.” Rey’s tone was gentle. “You may have a lot more on your mind than your estranged uncle, but… I’ve been communicating with him for a long time, and from what I’ve gathered, he doesn’t have anyone. No wife, no kids, no family… no one that he’s in touch with. He’s all alone. You seem like you care about him, if only just a little. Haven’t you at least considered it?”

 

Ben looked away from his uncle, and down at the water he was standing in, watching it lap against his torso. He did an odd thing with his mouth, moving his jaw slightly as if trying to come up with the right words. “I’ve considered it. But, we’ve had our differences in the past, and, after all that happened with the oil company and the family, I just…” he trailed off. “He’s the only person who still thinks of me as the guy I used to be. Sure, I was seventeen, and I still had a lot of growing up to do, but I was a good kid.” The way he spoke about his life when he was younger made it sound as if he was talking about someone else; someone dead.

 

Rey let a few moments pass before asking another question. “Do you think you’ll ever tell him the truth?”

 

Ben sighed. “To be perfectly honest, before today, I planned to steer clear of him for the rest of my life. And I didn’t think it would be that difficult to avoid him, either. Looks like I was wrong.” He turned away from Luke and began wading in the other direction, out towards the sea. “And of course now that I’ve seen him, talked with him… it’s going to be so much more difficult to just… disappear.”

 

Rey was beginning to understand how genuinely sad Ben’s situation was. She felt like she had to say something. “I’m sorry.”

 

“For what?”

 

She shook her head. “I… don’t know.”

 

Ben chuckled dryly. “Well, thank you. For your concern, and for your help. I know that you don’t have to help me, and that at any moment you could reveal to my uncle that I am a liar and a giant asshole. So I actually do appreciate you… not, doing that.”

 

“You may be a liar, but I don’t think you’re an asshole,” Rey assured him, “well, at least not a giant one.”

 

Ben’s gaze flickered up to hers. His expression read genuine confusion. “Really?”

 

Rey almost felt embarrassed at admitting that he wasn’t as much of a jerk as she had originally thought. That wasn’t very tough of her. “I mean, just after hearing all that stuff about your family… I’m not completely heartless.”

 

He wore a smug smile. “Good to know.”

 

“Just don’t let it go to your head.”


	3. III

Though they’d shared a somewhat touching moment, Rey was reminded of how much she was annoyed by Ben’s presence when they were walking back in the direction of the hotel, and she realized that they’d still have to stay in the same room together. Sure, he wasn’t as much of a jerk as she’d originally thought, but he was still at least a little bit of a jerk, and she wasn’t exactly thrilled by the prospect of having to sleep in the same room as him.

 

Luke told them that he had made a dinner reservation at the resort’s restaurant, and requested that they both go back to their room so that they could get dried off and changed, and maybe just relax for a while. Again, Rey had difficulty with the concept of just doing nothing, especially in close proximity to _him_.

 

Now she and Ben were alone, walking along a stone path lined with palm trees. Rey shivered slightly. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds and she was still dripping wet. She pulled up her towel around her shoulders, being careful not to drop her clothes which she clutched carefully to her chest.

 

She glanced up at Ben, who was walking beside her. He had his towel wrapped loosely around his waist, holding it up with one hand, his clothes in the other.

 

There was an almost awkward silence between the two. Ever since their conversation in the water, they had approached almost being friendly with each other, but hadn’t quite taken the final step, and now were just dwelling in the odd space between being enemies and being allies. Rey didn’t exactly want to be friends with him, but it was much better than being awkward acquaintances, so she decided to take some sort of step towards making conversation, if only to relieve the tension.

 

“So, what do you do in your free time? Other than destroy the environment.” She was trying to be nice, but she just couldn’t help but make a bit of a jab at him.

 

Ben let out a small sigh. “You’re probably going to give me shit for this too, but… I fix cars. Not for a living. Just because I like to.”

 

“Why would I give you shit for that?”

 

“Oh, you know. Because of all the greenhouse gases, and… supporting an industry that is made for selfish people who don’t give a damn about the planet, all that?” His tone was mocking her.

 

“Well, if I nagged you about it, that would be a bit hypocritical of me.” A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “I fix cars too. Except I do it for a living.”

 

“Really? I thought you were just a student.”

 

Rey laughed wryly. “You think I can afford an apprenticeship like this, and a ticket to _Hawaii_ , just by being a student? You’re more delusional than I thought.”

 

Ben laughed too; a hearty sound that rose from his chest. Rey hadn’t heard him laugh like that before. It sounded so real. She caught herself wanting to make him laugh like that again.

 

“Do you like it? Fixing cars?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, I do. A lot.” She couldn’t help but smile softly.

 

The almost touching moment came to an end as they reached the door to their shared hotel room, and Rey pulled out the key and opened it. As she walked inside, it was immediately undeniable how hot it was. “Jesus,” she said under her breath, “do they have air conditioning? It’s wicked hot in here.”

 

Ben stepped inside after her, and immediately seemed taken aback at the temperature. “You’re not kidding. It’s boiling.” He closed the door behind him, and went over to the window, closing the blinds so that the sun wasn’t glaring through, and the room was significantly darker.

 

Rey searched the wall for a thermostat, and eventually she found a metallic knob. She dialed it all the way down, but to her alarm, she didn’t hear any sort of cooling system kicking in. The air was still, and sweltering.

 

“I don’t think the AC works,” Rey announced.

 

Ben tossed his belongings onto his bed. “What? No way,” he replied in disbelief, walking over to inspect the thermostat. He fiddled with the knob, and searched around it in an attempt to find any other dials or switches, but found nothing.

 

“See?” Rey said, feeling oddly smug that he couldn’t find a way to fix it and prove her wrong. Though the feeling didn’t last long. The stifling air quickly reminded her that they actually had a problem to deal with. “So what do we do?”

 

“Call the front desk,” Ben said with a shrug, and walked over to the phone on the bedside table, squinting at the directory to try and find the number for the front desk.

 

Rey always felt like passing her problems off to someone else was irresponsible, no matter what it was, so she felt uneasy about calling someone to address the problem; then again, calling someone was probably the responsible thing to do in this situation. She felt awkward just standing by the thermostat, not to mention the fact that she was still in her bathing suit, so she gathered up some clothes and headed to the bathroom to quickly change.

 

She closed the door behind her but she could still hear Ben on the phone.

 

_Hi, uh, I’m calling to put in a maintenance request._

Rey changed out of her bathing suit and into a casual blue dress.

_Room number? Uh…_

“334,” Rey shouted through the door.

 

_334\. Yeah. Yes, uh, the air conditioning doesn’t work, no matter how much you turn the thermostat._

Rey quickly checked her appearance in the mirror. The dress looked fine, but her hair looked terrible due to her just swimming in saltwater. She quickly ran a brush through it, and then used an elastic to put it half-up, half-down.

 

_Okay. Will do. Thank you._

 

Rey heard Ben put the phone back in the receiver. She gave herself one last glance in the mirror before coming out of the bathroom and sitting down on the bed opposite Ben.

 

“Hm. You look nice,” Ben said, as if it was a passing observation.

 

Rey was slightly taken aback and managed to squeak out a ‘thank you’ before asking, “What did they say?”

 

“They want us to come to the lobby with our stuff. Apparently we’re moving rooms.”

 

She frowned. “That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it? Moving rooms?”

 

“Do you really want to stay here?”

 

“I guess you’re right.” Rey was still reeling from his compliment, the way he’d casually mentioned it, as if he was remarking upon the weather or something. She didn’t think he even had it in him to be nice, but apparently he was full of surprises.

 

Ben went into the bathroom and emerged a few moments later wearing a pair of dress pants, a black shirt, and a grey blazer overtop.

 

“Wow,” Rey commented.

 

“What?” His tone was somewhat sour, but Rey could see a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

 

“You look nice.” Rey hadn’t mastered the art of being completely nonchalant and passive as it seemed Ben had, but she definitely knew how to throw words back in someone’s face.

 

He did that genuine laugh again. “Thanks,” he said, and he ran a hand through his hair. Rey wondered if it was just her imagination, or if there really was a hint of flush in his cheeks.

 

~

 

After they had taken their belongings to reception, and been assured by the hostess that ‘everything would be taken care of’, Ben looked at his watch.

 

“Good timing. Our reservation is in ten minutes. We should head over now.” He began walking in the direction of the restaurant, and Rey followed.

 

“So, I never asked- aren’t you worried about your friend?” She asked.

 

“Who, Armitage? No. He’s barely my friend.”

 

“Really? I personally wouldn’t fly all the way to Hawaii with someone who I was barely friends with.”

 

“Well, you wouldn’t do a lot of things,” Ben said with a scowl.

 

Rey’s first instinct was to toss back another insult, but she decided against it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up a sensitive subject.”

 

Ben thought for a moment, and then sighed. “No, _I’m_ sorry. Ignore me. I’m acting like a little kid.” The two of them approached a door that led out of the lobby, and he held it open for Rey. “There’s not one person in the world who treads on my nerves more than Armitage Hux. He’s like… if a weasel was a person. And last night, I had already put up with several hours of travelling with and accommodating the asshole, and I’d had enough.”

 

“That wasn’t the impression I’d got at all. The way you were sulking at the bar… you looked like you’d just been through a divorce.”

 

“Yeah, well. I wasn’t sulking because I was emotional over having an argument with Hux. I was just disappointed in myself. This trip was supposed to be the last step towards my promotion. If I had just kept my cool, I would have been promoted to a higher position, one where I wouldn’t have to work with Hux anymore. But I went and ruined it, all because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. Now I’m gonna have to be working next to the fucking weasel for god knows how much longer.”

 

Rey took a moment to process all that information. She couldn’t believe it, but she actually felt _bad_ for him. She imagined herself in that situation, working hard for a promotion but blowing it at the last minute. She imagined the disappointment she would feel. Sure, he was working for the exact type of company that was Rey’s worst enemy, but she still felt a pang of sorrow when she heard the genuine emotion in Ben’s voice. “I’m sorry,” she said finally.

 

“It’s all right. I’ll be okay.” There was something so humble about the way he spoke, and it seemed to starkly different to the arrogant way he had paraded around before.

 

Rey was still staring at him in an odd kind of disbelief when they arrived at the doors to the restaurant. She was glad that they both had made the decision to dress up; the place seemed quite formal. They were greeted by a concierge, who showed them to their table. To their surprise, Luke was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Considering he was the one who was so dead-set on a lovely family dinner, it’s strange that he hasn’t showed up yet,” Ben commented as they took their seats at the round table set for three people.

 

Rey had a question sitting at the back of her mind, but she didn’t know if they were close enough yet for her to ask it. “Ben?”

 

“Hm?” He looked up from the wine list he was flipping through.

 

“Before Luke gets here, and you have to pretend that you don’t work for an oil company… what did you say to Armitage that sent him over the edge?”

 

Ben smiled slyly, looking back down to the wine list. “I may or may not have implied that our boss only hired him because he had a thing for ginger twinks.”

 

Rey burst out laughing. “You did not!”

 

“Unfortunately, I did. A bad decision, but god, it was satisfying. He practically whistled like a tea kettle.”

 

The waiter approached their table, and Ben looked to Rey questioningly. “We might as well get a bottle of wine for the table, right? What would you like?”

 

“Oh, wow, I know virtually nothing about wine. You choose.”

 

Ben listed off the name of some fancy Italian wine to the waiter, who nodded in reply. Rey felt remarkably out of her depth.

 

Ben looked as if he was about to say something, but he was interrupted by Rey’s phone chiming. She glanced down at it, and let out a sigh.

****

_Hi Rey, sorry to say that I can’t make it tonight. One of the water mains next to my house broke, and I’ve got to deal with some minor flooding. Nothing to worry about, just annoying. You two have fun. The food is paid for._

_\- Luke_

 

“Luke’s not coming,” she announced.

 

“What?”

 

“Apparently a water main broke, and his house is flooding? Sounds quite serious, but he’s playing it off like it’s nothing. He says to stay here, because the food is paid for.”

 

At the mention of the water main, Ben’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “He said those words exactly? That a water main broke?”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“He’s lying. His house is off the grid; he gets his water from a well. He doesn’t live anywhere near a water main.”

 

Rey was perplexed. “But… what reason would he have to lie?”

 

Ben looked as if maybe he had an idea, but if he did, he wasn’t letting on.

 

“I think we should go check on him. You know where he lives, right?” Rey stood up, and to her surprise, Ben reached over the table to gently touch her wrist.

 

“No,” he said.

 

“’No’ what?”

 

“Let’s just… stay here.”

 

Rey slowly sat down, perplexed. “Why?”

 

“Well, dinner’s already paid for, and as far as I know, neither of us have a car, so we’d have to figure out how to get all the way to Luke’s little isolated house. And then what? We get there, catch him lying, and everything is just… awkward?”

 

“What is it with you people and blatant dishonesty?” Rey sighed. “God, I hate that you’re actually making sense.”

 

Ben’s hand was lingering on Rey’s. “It’s fine. Everything’s fine. He probably has a good reason for lying. Maybe he’s… planning a surprise party for us, or something. Who knows.”

 

Rey knew she should protest, but at that moment the waiter came to the table with a bottle of wine, and poured two glasses. He set down the bottle and retrieved a lighter from his jacket pocket, lighting the small candle in the middle of the table. He gave them both a knowing smile before leaving once again.

 

“What’s with the candle?” Rey asked.

 

“God, you know, for someone who’s supposed to be smart, you’re pretty dumb, aren’t you?” Ben leaned a little closer, speaking in a low voice. “He thinks we’re a couple.”

 

At this information, Rey pulled her hand away from Ben’s with the velocity of a third-grader trying to escape cooties.

 

He seemed to acknowledge this gesture, as his eyebrows quickly flicked upwards, and then his expression changed into something passive and almost disappointed. He tiredly picked up his wine glass. “You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to.”

 

Rey couldn’t help but feel as if she had hurt him with the way she had acted. “No, I do. I’m sorry.”

 

“You say that a lot.”

 

“I mean it a lot.”

 

Ben didn’t reply to that; he simply swirled around his wine for a second before taking a sip.

 

 _If there’s one thing this guy can do, it’s sulk,_ Rey thought. “I’m just a bit out of my depth,” she told him, which wasn’t a total lie. “I can’t remember the last time I was in a restaurant this nice. I’m just a bit… jumpy.” That wasn’t a technically a lie either, but she wasn’t jumpy because of the dazzling atmosphere, and she knew that for a fact.

 

He seemed satisfied with her answer, although there was something about him now that was more distant.

 

Rey sensed Ben understood more than he was letting on about the whole Luke thing, and she wanted more information, but considering how touchy he was, she didn’t want to push her luck. She opted for casual conversation instead.

 

“So, what _is_ your job exactly? You say that you’re not an oil baron, so what do you do?”

 

His expression showed the slightest hint of relief at the change of subject. “Company negotiations. Travelling places, selling our business model to people. If I got that promotion, I would have been more than just a glorified door-to-door salesman. I would actually be evaluating the distribution of oil, making sure they’re following environmental standards and local laws.”

 

Rey made a face of mock surprise. “Wow. You aren’t a heartless bastard after all.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, shut up,” Ben replied, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, though it quickly disappeared. “Anyway, I’m stuck in this useless job instead. Not to mention that on this very trip, I can’t complete my work without Hux, so when I get back home, I am definitely going to be in shit.”

 

“It doesn’t seem like your job makes you happy in the slightest, so… why did you start it in the first place?” Rey couldn’t help but ask.

 

Ben let out a sigh. “Well, I was pretty young, stupid, and very tired of being a pool boy. Then I found out that my grandfather had been the previous CEO of First Order, and that pushed me over the edge. I wanted so badly to be like him, I would have given anything. Including my family.” He thought for a moment. “God, I really am such a downer, aren’t I? Sorry. Let’s talk about you.”

 

Rey chuckled. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing interesting about me.”

 

“I find that very hard to believe.”

 

“I’m from a small American town in the middle of nowhere, and I’ve never gone anywhere else. Until now, I guess.”

 

“Got a boyfriend in your small American town?”

 

The question struck Rey as odd. _Why was he asking?_   “No,” she answered honestly.

 

“No? I find that even harder to believe.”

 

Rey knew that the flush spreading across her cheeks was obvious, but she couldn’t do anything to hide it. “I don’t exactly have time for that sort of thing,” she said, likely as a defense mechanism.

 

Ben raised his eyebrows incredulously. “Time?”

 

“Well, I work a full-time job while also being a full-time student. Not exactly the recipe for a healthy social life.” Rey squinted at him from across the table. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Just making conversation,” he said coolly, taking another sip of wine.

 

Rey hadn’t even touched her drink yet, and she picked it up experimentally. She would be a little embarrassed to admit that she’d never tried wine before; she’d only ever drank beer or hard liquor, considering that the only opportunity she’d really had to drink was at house parties, not expensive restaurants. She took a small sip, trying not to show any reaction to the taste, pretending as if she’d had it many times before.

 

“Do _you_ have a boyfriend in your small American town?” Rey had meant to say ‘girlfriend’, but it was too late for her to take that back she supposed.

 

Ben practically choked on his drink. “Why does everyone think I’m gay?!”

 

“Maybe it’s the way you swirl your wine before tasting it,” Rey teased.

 

“That’s just the way you’re supposed to do it! It’s called _sophistication_.”

 

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

 

Ben let out a short exasperated sigh. “For your information, no, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

 

“Girlfriend, then?” Rey managed to ask.

 

His eyes met hers, and lingered there for what seemed like forever. There was something curious about his gaze. “…Nope,” he said finally.

 

 _I find that hard to believe,_ Rey wanted to say, but she held back.

 

“Oh, fuck,” Ben muttered suddenly.

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t look, but Hux is here,” he said in a low voice.

 

Rey turned in her chair and spotted Hux coming through the door, his eyes searching around the room.

 

“I said not to look!” Ben hissed. “Oh, Jesus Christ. He’s looking for me.”

 

“Why would he be looking for you?”

 

“He’s probably worried he’s gonna lose his job; he’s already on thin ice, and he can’t complete this assignment without me. Shit. Ok, we’re out of here.” Ben stood up quickly, grabbing Rey’s hand and leading her away from the table and in the opposite direction of Hux, weaving further and further into the restaurant.

 

Rey didn’t like being pulled around like a child, but she didn’t really have time to complain. Eventually they were at the back of the restaurant. There was a small dance floor, and Rey could hear Elvis crooning over the speakers. A few (probably drunk) couples swayed to the ballad.

 

Ben stepped onto the dance floor, looking at Rey expectantly.

 

“Oh, no no no. No way,” she said, tugging her arm out of his grasp. “This is where I draw the line.”

 

His expression turned to one of confusion. “ _This_ is where you draw the line? Slow dancing?” He sighed, his voice low. “Please, Rey. We have to blend in. We can’t just stand around.”

 

Rey could see the worry in his eyes, and immediately felt guilty. She couldn’t stand the thought of Ben being in shit because of her, especially now that she had heard his whole sob story about his job. “…Fine.”

 

She couldn’t help but notice the satisfied look in his eyes as he elegantly curled his arm around to the small of her back and ushered her onto the dance floor. At first she was hesitant to lay her hands on him, but eventually she let her arms rest around his neck, and they swayed to the slow tempo of ‘Tomorrow Night’.

 

 _Tomorrow night_  
_Will you remember what you said tonight?_  
 _Tomorrow night_  
 _Will all thrills be gone?_  
 _Tomorrow night_  
 _Will it be just another memory,_  
 _Or just another lovely song_  
 _That's in my full heart to linger on?_

They weren’t doing much more than stepping in one direction and then the next, but compared to the tipsy couples they were dancing beside, they seemed like ballroom dancing champions. Rey learned quickly that Ben was quite coordinated and careful on his feet; he didn’t step on hers once, even when he took one of her hands and led her into a twirl. Towards the end of the song they came to rest in a more reserved position, and Rey found her head leaning against his shoulder, her hands relaxed and resting at his collar bone.

 

The moment didn’t last.

 

“Fuck,” Ben said suddenly, and Rey felt the motion of his chest as he spoke. She quickly met his gaze.

 

“What?”

 

“Hux. Man, he never gives up, does he? He’s unkillable. Like a cockroach.”

 

Ben turned so that Rey could see, and, sure enough, the redhead was hovering at the edge of the crowd, peeking over people’s heads, searching.

 

“What do we do?” Rey asked, and with that Ben pulled back from their gentle embrace, this time offering a hand to Rey rather than just yanking her around.

 

Rey appreciated the politeness, and put her hand in his. He led her through the swaying drunk couples, around the speaker system and down a small hallway at the back of the room.

 

“Are you sure we’re allowed to be back here?” Rey asked.

 

“Mm. Probably not,” Ben replied, though his pace did not slow in the slightest.

 

Eventually they reached a door, and after a close inspection to ensure that it didn’t have any ‘Do not open; alarmed’ signs on it, Ben pushed through and out into the sweet evening air.

 

They were standing on a sort of balcony that overlooked the moonlit beach. The sky was a deep indigo, and Rey’s breath was nearly stolen as she took in the sight of the twinkling stars above the ocean.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything this beautiful before,” Rey said, pushing her chest against the railing as if it would bring her closer to the sky.

 

“Hm. Yeah,” Ben muttered in agreement, though it seemed as if his mind was on something else. “Rey?”

 

Rey turned to face him. “Yeah?”

 

Ben rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I, uh… I just wanted to say. Thanks for putting up with my bullshit. Like, you have no reason to be playing along with this whole charade with Luke and everything, and me pulling you through a restaurant…” He leaned up against the wall as he spoke, his eyes drifting up to the stars. “I know we got off on the wrong foot, and you certainly have no responsibility to be this nice to me. So I really do appreciate it.”

 

“You don’t have to thank me. Honestly, I shouldn’t have freaked out at you the way I did in the first place; that wasn’t fair. I understand. And… it’s been fun,” she admitted, with a genuine smile. “Never did I imagine that this trip would be anything more than collecting samples of ocean water.” She let that statement hang in the air for a moment, before she thought of something else she wanted to say. “Hey… earlier, when you pointed out that Luke was lying about the water main thing, you seemed to have a clue why, but you said you didn’t.”

 

Ben chuckled. “Perceptive.”

 

“So? What is it?”

 

He looked at the wooden planks beneath their feet. “I mean, I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I got the impression that he was trying to play Cupid.”

 

Rey understood the implications of his words, and felt her cheeks flush; she was terribly thankful that the only light was from the moon, so he couldn’t see her so red. “Why… would he do that?” She managed.

 

“Well, he’s not stupid.” Ben took a step towards her now, and Rey felt herself holding her breath. “We… work well together,” he continued, and this sentiment was accompanied by a gentle laugh. “Besides, maybe he’s just a hopeless romantic.”

 

“What about you?” Rey asked, and it was her turn to take a step closer.

 

“What _about_ me?”

 

“Are you a hopeless romantic?”

 

Even in the dark, Rey knew that Ben was wearing that arrogant half-smile. “Maybe, under the correct circumstances,” he replied, after a moment, “maybe, with enough stars, and old music, and tropical breeze… I can be persuaded.”

 

Rey didn’t know a lot about kissing people- she’d only ever done it a few times in her life before- but if there was ever a time to kiss someone, she knew this was it. She closed the distance between them, her hand grasping his shirt collar, and pressed her lips to his.


	4. Epilogue

Five years later, after plane rides, unemployment, trips to IKEA, family dinners, and endless nights of thoughtful conversation, Ben and Rey were back at the Blue Hawaii resort. They stood at the front of the room, while their families and friends watched expectantly.

 

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, the happy couple will share their first dance as husband and wife,” the MC announced, provoking hoots and hollers from the crowd.

 

Ben pressed a chaste kiss to Rey’s cheek, and she grinned. He gently led her to the dance floor, just as he had all those nights ago. Elvis’ voice drifted over the speakers, and they started to sway.

 

_I will love you longer than forever  
Promise me that you will leave me never_

_Here and now dear_  
_All my love_  
 _I vow dear_  
 _Promise me that you will leave me never_  
 _I will love you longer than forever._


End file.
